• Gittin Jr. and Pawlak both advanced to the final eight at 2013 Monroe event

Long Beach, Calif. – July 15, 2014 – Following success in the first four Formula DRIFT events of the 2014 season, Ford Motor Company is leading the points in the manufacturer’s standings through the efforts of Mustang drivers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Justin Pawlak, ranked third and sixth, respectively, in the driver’s championship. Gittin Jr. and Pawlak will compete in customized Ford Mustangs in Monroe, Washington, this weekend, July 18-19, in round five of the seven-event series.

“We’re excited to be first in the manufacturer standings heading into the final rounds of the 2014 Formula DRIFT season,” said Steve Ling, Ford North America car marketing manager. “Having competitive drivers who value performance as much as we do at Ford makes these last three rounds even more thrilling.”

Ford has supported drivers in Formula DRIFT since 2005, when the sport triggered a successful Ford Racing Performance Parts engine development program for a supercharged 4.6-liter V8 crate engine.

“Fans love seeing Ford involved on the track and in the paddock,” said Mickey Matus, Ford Racing marketing communications manager. “Last season, the two Mustang drivers consistently finished at the top, keeping Ford in the hunt for the manufacturers’ cup throughout its first year. Now, following Vaughn’s recent victories in rounds two and three in Atlanta and Miami, we’re confident our drivers will continue to show the Formula DRIFT world that Ford and Mustang are winners.”

Amidst the excitement of North America’s foremost professional drifting championship, Ford is giving fans the opportunity to enter to win an EcoBoost®- powered Fiesta ST. Anyone can enter the contest online while watching the hot action each weekend at www.formuladrift.com

“With only three events remaining in the 2014 season, Ford looks to continue their success and keep the lead on their way to their first manufacturer cup championship,” said Ryan Sage, Formula DRIFT vice president and cofounder. “Formula DRIFT fans can get in on the action by entering to win a custom Ford Fiesta ST during the remaining events this season.”

“The hot new Fiesta ST featuring the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine is a huge hit, especially among the younger crowd,” said Ling. “So we partnered with Formula DRIFT to create an innovative way to give one to a lucky fan. We added a Ford Racing Performance Parts exhaust and some cool new wheels and touches to make this a true, one-of-one car. We displayed it at the season opener in Long Beach and will have it at the series finale in Irwindale, California in, October.”

The first official drifting series in North America, Formula DRIFT has taken competitive motorsports to the extreme, attracting enthusiasts from all walks of life. Highly-skilled drivers maneuver high-powered cars into controlled slides at high speeds through a marked course. Judged on speed, execution and style rather than fastest time, drifting is a crowd pleaser that’s often compared to the freestyle nature of skateboarding and motocross.

This season’s competition features pro drivers and teams running seven events. Judged on speed, execution and style rather than fastest time, drifting is a crowd pleaser that’s often compared to the freestyle nature of skateboarding and motocross.

The 2014 Formula DRIFT season will continue with Round 5: Throwdown at Evergreen Raceway on July 18-19. For more information visit: www.formuladrift.com and find Formula DRIFT on Instagram @formulad, Facebook www.facebook.com/formuladrift and Twitter @FormulaD.